Be it summer or winter with a cold that peels, the Nordic parents have a curious custom: they leave their babies in the strollers at the door of shops and bars while they shop, eat or dine inside.
It is common to walk through the streets of countries such as Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden, and find a row of strollers with babies inside taking a nap, sometimes at freezing temperatures. It is what is known as Nordic nap.
The Nordic Nap
Here we do not get an idea of the cold that can come to be in those countries. The winters are very raw, there may be days of -10 or -15 degrees, even with snow, and still, not even in the coldest months they abandon this custom. For them, it is part of their daily routine. And they do it convinced that it is beneficial for their babies.
Inside the strollers, babies are perfectly sheltered and protected from wind and rain, with their comforter and their hood closed. There they are well collected and their parents ensure that take a nap for longer that if they were in a closed environment.
Apparently, that's the key. Although the ambient temperature is very low, it is very important that children wear warm clothes and a warm sleeping bag.
Children get less sick
Doesn't it hurt babies? Don't they get sick? Nordic parents are sure not. In fact, they do it to avoid diseases. Children exposed to the outdoors are supposed to have a lower risk of infection from frequent infections such as coughs and colds that if they shared a room with other babies.
The culture of taking children outdoors is not new. This has been done for years as part of their daily lives. In kindergartens and schools it is also common for children to do most of the outdoor activities and only enter at lunchtime or if it is too cold.
To keep them under control, the parents place a baby monitor with a monitor inside the stroller and are usually always very close to the window from where they are being watched.
It must also be taken into account that kidnappings in Nordic countries are extremely rare, if not nonexistent. No one would think of taking a stroller with an alien baby, and if so, it would only be by mistake.
They sleep longer
Marjo Tourula, a Finnish researcher specializing in outdoor children's naps, has done a survey of parents who say:
"The babies clearly slept more being outside than inside. If the naps under cover lasted between one and two hours, outside they lasted between an hour and a half and three."
"Probably the restriction of movements caused by the clothing could increase the duration of the nap, while a cold environment makes it possible to wrap it without overheating it," he says.
Most parents noted that many babies sleep better outside than in the bedroom. They are taken out gradually so that they become accustomed after two weeks of birth.
According to his research, -5 ° C is the best temperature for an outdoor nap, although some parents he spoke with were taking them outside at -30 ° C.
Other benefits include that children are more energetic, sleep better at night and are able to sleep in any environment, even with noise and bright light.
What do the studies say?
The reports of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency show conflicting results. In some studies they found that preschool children who spent many hours outdoors fewer days were absent than those who spent most of the time inside. However, in other studies there were no differences.
Martin Jarnstrom, head of the group of preschool institutions Ur och Skur (With snow or rain), is another great defender of naps abroad, although he emphasizes that while the weather can be cold, the child should be hot or warm.
Photos | iStockphoto
Via | Fatherly
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